Charles City, Iowa Wedding

Jonathan and Danielle

There is just something so special about getting to photograph people you grew up with. I have known Danielle since we were little and sang in the kids’ choir together at church. We have been in different activities together (and her twin sister) over the years like softball and band. So when Danielle reached out to ask me to photograph her wedding it really felt full circle and I was super excited. When I first started my business I used to get so nervous photographing people who knew me from my hometown. Scared they would judge me for my little photo business. But when Danielle reached out, for the first time I felt really excited and honored that someone from my hometown that I grew up around thought to even reach out to me and support my business.

Danielle and Jonathan had a gorgeous Iowa June day for their wedding. It wasn’t too hot and everything was so stunning. I will admit, when I heard Iowa and wedding I got a little concerned because as the stereotype goes, Iowa is just corn fields. But Danielle and Jonathan found the cutest little VRBO overlooking a river for their small intimate family ceremony. For their ceremony, they added so many personal touches, like a banner with good wishes from their friends and family at the bridal shower, to incorporating a traditional hand-binding ceremony. The hand-binding ceremony is a beautiful tradition that symbolizes the unity and commitment shared between two individuals. As their hands are bound together with a delicate ribbon or cord, the couple embarks on a journey as one, walking side by side in love and partnership. This age-old ritual is often incorporated into weddings and serves as a poignant reminder of the promises made between the bride and groom. The act of binding their hands represents the joining of their lives and the creation of a strong bond that can weather any storm. It is through the hand-binding ceremony that the couple publicly declares their dedication to supporting and cherishing one another, reinforcing the foundation of trust and love upon which their relationship is built. During the hand-binding ceremony, they included their Maid of Honor and Best Person who helped them bind their hands and read some readings for the couple. I have never photographed a hand-binding ceremony so I feel so honored to have witnessed it and to see this beautiful tradition take place.

After their intimate wedding ceremony, we headed over to their reception venue which was at the Floyd County Fairgrounds. Which again made me a little nervous, fairgrounds around me typically are dirt covered and smell like livestock. But this building was a photographer’s dream. It was open and had white walls and ceilings (so the lighting was perfect for reception flash photos). There was a stunning field for sunset photos and it was an absolute dream.

Something I love about weddings is seeing all of the personal touches couples add to their day. Danielle is a teacher and for her table centerpieces, she included wedding advice from her students. I quite literally went around to every table to read every single piece of advice from her students. There were for sure some funny ones, as you would expect from students like “the woman is always right” but there were some pretty good ones in there too, ones that I remember said something like “don’t go to bed angry” “remember you are on the same team, it’s both of you against the problem, not each other” or "I read a few that were about “remember to laugh through life and support each other.” It was really nice reading all of them and some of these students are incredibly wise as a newlywed, some of the advice was a great reminder even for me.

Something I also admired that they did was so appreciation to all their guests and made it a priority to get a photo with everyone there. So for the first time, I got to run around and take a photo of every table with Danielle and Jonathon, and I surprised myself with how smoothly it went! After watching Danielle and Jonathan spend most of their time visiting with guests and catching up we snuck out for some sunset photos which turned out stunning. Danielle’s dress was literally out of a fairytale and was so flowy and beautiful to photograph (and it had pockets, which is the best thing ever).

Photographing Danielle and Jonathan’s wedding was such a blessing and I learned so much and had an incredible time. I am soooo obsessed with their images and I am so excited to be sharing them on the blog :)